Synthetic Biologist

Are you passionate about Plant Biotechnology, Synthetic Biology and the future of sustainable materials? Do you want to use your scientific expertise to make real-world impact? We have an immediate opening for an R&D Scientist in Synthetic Biology / Plant Sciences.

Location: Edinburgh, UK

Full-Time (12-month contract, potential to extend to permanent)

Salary: £34,598-£37,067

About LeafyColl

The LeafyColl team is driven by the potential of plants to transform the production of structural proteins.We are a fast-growing engineering biology startup, developing a next-generation platform to produce bioidentical proteins such as collagen using plant-based systems. LeafyColl is building a scalable and sustainable alternative to animal-derived collagen, with applications across cosmetics, food, and biomaterials. Working with a multidisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, and commercial experts, we are rapidly developing a first-of-its-kind protein manufacturing platform.

Whom are we looking for:

We are seeking people driven by excellence, with a strong interest in using their passion for science and plants to create innovations with real-world impact. You will be engaging with pioneering work, building and optimising biological systems to enable recombinant protein expression using synthetic biology tools across plant and microbial systems.

Qualifications:

• PhD in Synthetic Biology, Molecular Biology, Plant Biotechnology, Biochemistry, or related discipline
• Experience in genetic construct design and molecular cloning
• Experience in recombinant protein expression (E. coli, algae, or plants)
• Experience with gene editing tools (e.g., CRISPR-Cas9)
• Experience in working on non-model plants or crops.
• Experience with plant-based expression systems (transient or stable)

Key accountabilities:

• Design and optimise genetic constructs for protein expression
• Develop and test recombinant protein expression systems (e.g., collagen)
• Perform molecular cloning, plasmid assembly, and validation
• Conduct transient expression and plant-based assays
• Generate and characterise stable plant lines
• Analyse protein expression and optimise yield and functionality
• Contribute to experimental design, data analysis, and reporting
• Work collaboratively in a fast-paced, innovation-driven environment